The quotation below is a direct excerpt from the draft study and it has some very troubling implications for the Chamorros of Guam. Yet this information does not seem to be out there in the general public.
This exact quotation is from the draft impact report:
“Guam’s indigenous Chamorro population has strong concerns about whether incoming military populations would recognize them as both American by nationality and also as a unique ethnic culture worthy of respect and preservation. This could be mitigated by orientation programs designed in cooperation with the Department of Chamorro Affairs.
“However, an expansion in non-Chamorro voting population could eventually affect the proportion of Chamorro office-holders and government workers; thereby affecting the current government budgets and activities dedicated to cultural issues and practices. It could also affect outcomes of any future plebiscites about Guam’s political status.” [DEIS. Vol. 7, chapter 3, page 64: Mitigation, Summary Impact Cumulative]
DR. ANNE PEREZ HATTORI
History Professor
University of Guam
